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By Young E. Freeborn, Warri October 3, 2023 marked four years since the Urhobo Renaissance Society (URS) was established to champion the course of promoting the Urhobo culture, and to raise the economic status of the Urhobo people, as the fifth largest ethnic group in Nigeria. To mark the event, one of the administrators of the group, Mr. Rume Ophi spoke to our correspondent in his office over the four-year journey. Hear him: “My dedicated service as an administrator of the URS Facebook group hasn’t been an easy journey, but by God’s grace, I’ve kept my focus. The journey began in…

By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa The newly elected national chairman of the Third phase batch of ex-Agitators in the Niger Delta, general Elaye Slaboh, said his leadership will ensure that beneficiaries do not resort to protest, that usually leads to the blockage of the East-West road (especially at Mbiama), but will seek dialogue for a mutual relationship between the ex-agitators and Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Program, PAP, Major Gen Tariye Barry Ndiomu. Slaboh attributed the incessant protests along the East-West Road to lack of information and break down of communication between the office of the interim administrator and “some…

By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa The Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has begin tracking of 46 constituency and executive projects in Bayelsa State worth billions of Naira. This was made known by ICPC’s Assistant Chief Supretendent Afolabi Kolawole on Monday June 17, during a visit to the various project sites to ascertain the viabilities of the projects. According to Kolawole, the project sites seen and others to be visited cut across various constituencies in all the eight local government areas of the state. He said the exercise is phase six of the commission’s regular Constituency and Executive…

By Godwin Chukwumaechi The Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA) has commended the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal for affirming the election of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, The ruling which was delivered on Friday by the Appellate Court, which is the final court of adjudication on all legislative election matters in Nigeria, puts paid to the “sponsored ambushment of a mandate freely given by the people of Bende Federal Constituency on the 25th February 2023,” NDRA said in a reaction made available to this newspaper on Saturday. The group had earlier accused…

By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa The executive director of Stakeholders Alliance for Corporate Accountability (SACA) Kingsley Ozegbe, has disclosed that a review of the National oil spill monitor website has revealed that third party interference, vandalism and willful damage has accounted for 76.24% of 1,107 oil spill incidences between January 2018 and July 2020. He made the disclosure during a courtesy call on the commandant of the Nigeria Security and Cilvil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Mrs Lucy Fakoya, and the management staff. Ozegbe said, further analysis unveiled that about 48% of the spillages occured in Rivers State, 21% in Delta State, 15%…

By Ehichioya Ezomon It’s good to see Senate President Godswill Akpabio putting ice on the “plenary spat” between him and Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume on October 17, 2023. The disruption the rowdiness could’ve caused was timely averted with the Senate going into an executive (a closed-door) session. Akpabio – (APC, Akwa Ibom West) and former Governor of Akwa Ibom State – told State House reporters in Abuja on October 18 – after he met with President Bola Tinubu – that members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly (NASS) won’t throw chairs to iron out disagreements. His words:…

… Applauds PFN’s Peace Drive By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa Founder and general overseer of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, has expressed deep concern for the cause of the Ijaw Nation, adding that Bayelsa State and the entire Ijaw ethnic nationality have been a huge burden to him spiritually and physically. Pastor Ibiyeomie who made the remark when he received the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Committee on Good Governance and Politics, led by the the chairman, Apostle Kiyaramo G Timiebi and other members in his office at the church headquarters in Port Harcourt on Friday, commended the Bayelsa PFN for…

By Young E. Freeborn, Warri The Uku-in-charge and son of the founder of the Igbe Orhe Ofuafo Oghene Healing Home, Uku Simon Imoni Efedudu, has said religion and tribalism have torn Nigerians, including thousands of families in the country, apart. He made this assertion recently during one of the Igbe worship days at Unenurhie community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State. In a media chat with our correspondent in the worship hall, the ‘Ose-Isi,’ as he is popularly called by his adherents said, “No doubt, religion and tribalism have contributed to the problems of Nigeria today. Truly,…

By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa As voter education intensifies in Bayelsa State ahead of the governorship election, the Eunice Nnachi Women Advocacy Foundation, ENWAF, has called on the people of Sabageria community and its environs to avoid all forms of violence before, during and after the election. Chief Executive Officer of ENWAF, Lady Eunice Nnachi, came out with this during a voter education sensitization program held in Sabageria Opokuma, Gbaran-ama and Okoloba town, all in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Lady Nnachi said that violence in any society does not allow for development and prosperity particularly during election, noting…

… Threaten to stop ‘Oil Money’ over Gold Revenue By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa Former militant leaders in the Niger Delta region have described as “provocative,”recent statements made by Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, against the the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Chief Barr Nyesom Wike. They also warned Sheik Gumi “and his cohorts against actions that will provoke the people of the Niger Delta,” as they called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Dele Alake, “to take aggressive action of resource control with the revenues from gold and other mining activities from the…